What's the easiest format to use to create a mesh object?
For a dollar sign there are quite a few options.

1.- create a text object, modify it on edit mode to be a dollar sign using the font of your choice. You can then extrude and bevel.





2.- Import a SVG vectorial object and set some extrusion
 and bevel to it.



3.- Using your image as background you can trace the shape manually as a curve object.